The Underground War
by LadyMaundrell
Summary: Back on track! It's AUish. I don't want anything to do with this team anymore! the guardian roared. Sonic and Tails gawked at their friend. What about Freight? We can't stop him without you! That's none of my concern anymore. RnR
1. Default Chapter

**I do not own any of the Sonic characters in this story. I do own Freight though.

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_Drip. Drip. Drip._

It was all the same. Darkness blanketed the underground refuge and the only thing that anyone could hear was that annoying dripping from that blasted pipe. Freight didn't mind though. As long as he was hidden away from the outside world, he'd be fine. He wheezed noisily and dragged his feet as he walked to the pipe. It had busted along time ago. He couldn't remember though. The underground drifter had lived here all his life.

But he could remember a few things. A red blur and a mocking laugh haunted his mind. He didn't know who it was, but he had a deep hatred for him. After all, Freight had never looked like a monster his entire life. He remembered his long stormy-grey spines and handsome green eyes. His hands now had claws and his knuckles had bones pointing out of them. He could hardly walk now. This was because of his tail. It had become long and serpent-like, not to mention it was heavy.

He scowled. That pipe was becoming bothersome now.

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

How he wished to find that evil one and punish him for making him such a monster. Freight ripped off his bandana and tied it around the pipe tightly. Seconds passed and there was no sound. He smiled toothily and trudged away.

Still he wondered. How did this all come to be? Why did that mysterious stranger haunt him so? And who was this person? Freight yelled at the top of his lungs hysterically. It had been so long since he had the peaceful rest he had when he was young. He yearned for it. He was _obsessed _with it.

"Who are you?" He asked no one in particular.

A chuckle rang in his ears. The beast jumped around and squinted at the area it came from. He could see nothing.

That problem was fixed when a light illuminated the lair. It was a man. He was rather large. His belly reminded Freight of an egg, but his arms and legs were so thin. The man wore a red suit with black pants and goggles over his eyes. Under his pink nose wad a bushy orange mustache. He stood beside a machine that looked like a gargantuan mechanical pair of pants. Freight couldn't help but stare at the odd newcomer. He finally asked, "Are you an outcast too?"

The man grinned and answered him, "Why, yes I am." He pushed his goggles up against the bridge of his nose with his two long fingers.

"Get out of here! This is my area!" Freight suddenly growled at the stranger. He didn't seem to be affected by this. Was this man the person from his dreams? "Find your own place to sleep!"

The man in red held his hands out in front of him nonchalantly and said, "I'm hiding too. You see, there are demons out there." He pointed towards the roof of the refuge. He smiled wryly and added slyly, "By the way, what is your name?"

"Freight. Freight the—" he faltered. He wasn't an echidna anymore.

"I see you've had your problems... Has it anything to do with a blue hedgehog or yellow two-tailed for?"

"No. it's red and fast..." Was he actually having a conversation with this man? He kept talking even though his instincts told him not to. "That thing has been haunting my dreams... But why should you care?"

The stranger stared down at Freight sadly. He muttered, "I see you fell victim to the Guardian Knuckles... He is an evil and powerful echidna..." He suddenly smiled and started climbing onto the machine he had brought with him. "But if I don't care, then I shouldn't stay here, should I?"

This made the beast jump. He wanted to know more of this Knuckles. And what of the blue hedgehog and two-tailed fox?

"Wait!" he found himself shouting. The man looked down at him; a hint of laughter was in his eyes. "Stay. I want to know more of these people you speak of."

"I see," he said as he jumped down. He took a seat on a rock casually, Freight's watchful eye on him. "The Guardian Knuckles, as I said, is an evil echidna, works with the blue hedgehog, Sonic. They torment many people and steal from the needy. Along with their friend Tails, the two-tailed fox, they are a gang. They have already killed my family..." He sobbed wildly. "They are murderers and must be stopped!"

"Why doesn't the authority do something-"

"They brainwashed them!" he bawled. This guy was getting on Freight's nerves, but this gang sounded worse. And this Knuckle's guy seemed to be his only answer to his problem. Anyways, this guy's sob story was a complete fake. It was probably made up as he went along. Freight had to give him props...

"I'll help you take care of them," he said in a determined voice. The man looked up at him in surprise. "I'll help." Joy spilled over the man and he nearly ran over to him and hugged him. Freight wasn't sure if he could believe him, and he wasn't sure of his motive. Still, the world was being destroyed by this gang... Freight gave him a smile and asked him, "But... who are you?"

The mustached man grinned at this and told him, "Dr. Eggman..."

Freight nodded. Behind him though, he suddenly heard a familiar sound in which he hated so...

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

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What did you guys think? Plz r n r! **

**Lady Maundrell**


	2. Chaos In the Making!

**No characters are ine except for Freight. I appreciate my reviewers... reviewing... read, enjoy, review plz.**

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It's crazy. First you're hiding away in the sewers and then you find yourself walking around in an old dilapidated laboratory. This was exactly what was going through Freight's mind as he stepped out of the capsule.

The man in red had told him it was the best way to transport me. The mutant-echidna couldn't agree more. Seeing a disfigured being wasn't the most pleasant thing to see in a city. Anyways, Freight didn't like going out into the sunlight these days. The darkness gave him a sense of security...

He looked around his surroundings. Everything was so old and dusty as if no one had been in there for years. What is this place? Where was the egg-bellied man? He was eager to look around. The place intrigued him. With much effort, he forced himself to walk to the door. His eyes peered into the hallway. Large pipes and wires were fixed into the walls, running all the way to the end of the walls and dividing up into several more wires.

Grey and metal... That's all there was... he felt so cold here. Now his body was beginning to tire. He cursed his monstrous body in immense fury. Why was he forced to live like this? The echidna fell onto the floor and sat, staring off into space. The torture he felt... It was overwhelming...

His eyes were stuck on the florescent light above him. If he blinked at the right time, he'd be able to see that red blur, this so-called Guardian Knuckles. He sneered. Eggman had said that the echidna was very strong, but Freight asked himself something. Had the bastard gone against a mutant echidna? Of course, Freight had his limits, but Eggman had also mentioned the chaos emeralds and the Master Emerald. He had only thought that they were myths passed down orally by the ancestors, but it wouldn't hurt to try attaining them. Besides, they could be the answer to his limits, and he could become all-powerful. Freight liked the sound of that. He had been all-powerful before and he enjoyed it. If only he could find a way to get a hold of them... It hit him then... Eggman... He had to talk to the doctor now... He suppressed a laugh. It wouldn't be long until Guardian Knuckles was dead... Just the thought made his stomach tingle with a feeling he hadn't felt in a very long time. It was the desire to kill.

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The sunlight peaked at the over the mountains of Angel Island. It was so early yet there were some people who had risen early to get something. One also woke early to defend something very precious. An explosion could be heard in the distance. Knuckles had again used his chaos energy to stop an intruder.

"You still haven't learned, have you?" Knuckles yelled viciously. His livid blue eyes stared fixedly at a certain winged thief. His rival had come back to his island again. Her attempts of stealing the Master Emerald had become tiresome, but he couldn't let her have it. No matter what. "Rouge! Make this easier on yourself and go home!"

"Not without that emerald, Echidna!" she called back to him. The white bat charged at him. He mimicked her approach and bawled his gloved fist. He wanted to avoid this but he had to if he wanted to keep the Master Emerald safe.

His hand began feeling hot. The energy was already there. She was right in front of him, a grin revealing her sharp fangs plastered on her face. Knuckles threw his punch directly at her gut, but she suddenly disappeared. He immediately dug his heels into the ground and whirled around.

The thief was no where to be found. He sputtered in confusion, "Where'd? Where is she?"

"Right here, _Treasure Hunter_!" Rouge's voice rang. Using her axe kick, she nailed him on the neck.

The red echidna fell forward but caught himself before he hit the ground. He did a back flip and elbowed the bat in the face. She yelped in pain, but didn't stop to tend to it. Knuckles grinned faintly. That was something he looked for in a woman. A girl who fought until she got what she wanted was very rare. His face went as red as his fur. Where did that come from? He shook that thought away quickly and focused on the along.

Rouge was already heading towards the emerald again. He cursed her under his breath and sprinted after her to the altar. He wouldn't be able to get there in time though. Instantly, he stopped, raised his fist up in the air and slammed it down while he bellowed, "Chaos Tremor!"

The ground shook under his fist. It didn't take long for the oversized green gem to fall over and shatter. The bat's scream could be heard in Station Square now. Knuckles could only grin now, but he held onto dear life on a boulder, knowing what would happen next. The floating island suddenly shook as much as how it did when he summoned the powers of the chaos emeralds only seconds ago. Rouge suddenly cried as she flew up into the air. Angel Island was falling. She should have known. They finally hit the ocean and a tsunami-like wave consumed the Mystic Ruins.

Knuckles couldn't help but feel sorry for Tails. The two-tailed genius lived somewhere in that area. He'd have to apologize. But his attention turned to Rouge. His eyes were cast over to the altar again. She wasn't there. He asked himself, _Where did she go?_

He dismissed the question. He knew perfectly well where she was going. The batgirl was already hunting for his emerald pieces. He'd show her. He'd get all the pieces before she did. The echidna snorted in satisfactory and hurried of his island to Tails' workshop.

Rouge watched him leave from the behind the altar. Her part of her job was done.

"_Rouge! Have you gotten the echidna off the island?"_

The bat sighed as she spoke into her walkie talkie (A/N: Eggman can be so ghetto at times), "Yes, Doctor. He suspects nothing."

"_Excellent! Meet me back at the lair. I'd like you to meet someone... Mwahahaha!" _the connection was immediately cut-off. Rouge could only sweatdrop at Eggman's attempts to be dramatic. It was the doctor's order to go to all the way into space. He had told her this earlier when he first contacted her. She shuddered. There were so man memories from Ark. She didn't know if she could handle it again. But it was the doctor's order. Rouge shook the thought away and hurried off the island. It was only a matter of time until the echidna came back, so they had to work fast with whoever that person was...

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**Another short chapter... Tell me if you'd like longer ones. I'll just say that it'll take longer if I do that though. **

**Luvs**

**LadyM.**


	3. Acquaintances and Talks

**About time I updated. Sorry for the wait. I was grounded... Ick. Well enjoy the chappie. **

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"Tails? You okay?" Knuckles shouted over the sound of running water. He stood at the door of his workshop. It was all washed out, from top to bottom. No sign of the two-tailed fox. He knew it wasn't normal for him to go after his friends instead of the Master Emerald, but a great guilt filled him. "Tails?"

There was no answer. Knuckles glanced around the house. He wondered why the wave had been so big. Usually it wouldn't have reached this far. He started to walk around, searching for his friend under any debris, calling his name.

After several minutes of searching, a boyish voice emerged. It groaned in pain. The echidna jumped and ran over to the area he heard it come from. He gasped when he saw the fox under his latest invention, the Sky Surfer. It looked to weigh about half a ton. He rushed over to his friend and asked, "You all right?"

The young fox gave a disbelieving face. Knuckles blushed, "Whoops... Sorry about that." He looked over the Sky Surfer again. "I'll help you out from under this."

"Much obliged, Knux," Tails grunted. The echidna grabbed hold of the machine and began lifting it. The mechanic slipped from under his work and signaled from Knuckles to put it down. He dropped it. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

"Well so-_rye_! If you didn't make it so fucking heavy, I wouldn't have dropped it!" His temper had instantly poured over. That was the thanks he got for helping? He didn't want to even bother anymore.

It was about time the stupid little brat knew how to treat his superiors. Knuckles slammed the fox's face into the floorboard. He squealed in pain. "THIS IS THE LAST TIME I'M EVER GOING TO HELP THE LIKES OF YOU! LATER!"

Puffing his chest out, he turned around and began walking out. Sonic met him at the door. His face was unreadable as he approached Knuckles. He had to give the blue hedgehog some props. He wasn't a spineless idiot after all... Knuckles smirked at his thoughts, but it disappeared quickly.

"Out of my way, Sonic. Or I'll do the same thing I did to Tails."

"Whatever," he shrugged off. "What's up?"

This was odd. The Sonic he knew would jump into conclusions and go on the offense. Tails also caught this. He managed to sit up and watch his friend.

The smell of alcohol hit their noses. Had the famous 'Blue Blur' been drinking? Obviously. And his body was covered with cuts, bruises and scrapes. What had happened? Knuckles and Tails traded worry glances. Looks like they had some major talking to do.

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It was the same. Ark was still partially deserted. Rouge walked around. If she remembered right, the central control room was through the next door. The door opened slowly.

"I see you've decided to join us, Rouge," Eggman said when the door was completely open.

"Who's us?"

"Ah, yes... Freight, come forward please."

Rouge looked at the shadows where the doctor was talking to. Horror filled her eyes. What was he? The thing Eggman called Freight was about the same height as the doctor himself. He had a tail about half the length of his body and his talons were frighteningly long and sharp. His grey fur had patches of them viciously torn off, his eyes didn't have any pupils, and his rib cage was gruesomely visible. He was obviously having trouble finding a good meal. Dark bags were under his eyes. She could hear the mutant wheezing helplessly. Pity overcame her. What had caused this creature to become like this?

A look of despair was upon his face. It seemed like he was afraid and ashamed of his looks. The bat grinned seductively and walked over to him. She stuck her hand out to him. "Rouge the Bat. Nice to meet you, Freight."

He looked at her cautiously. He took hold of her hand and shook it. Meekly, the mutant grinned back.

"Now that you two are acquainted, we have work to do. Rouge, you are sure you got the echidna off the island?"

"Of course, Doctor. He actually got himself off his _own_ island..." she smirked. Her delicate hands flicked her back as she added in satisfactory, "He was fighting a losing battle anyways..."

"Excellent. Now I must call and check on a friend of mine. He must know of the upcoming events, but first..." The doctor dug into his pocket and pulled out a bandana. He tossed it to he mutant. "Tie this around your neck."

Freight caught it, but held it in his hands, staring down at the bandana that seemed to have been soaked in fresh blood many times. Eggman snarled and tied it around his next, activating its ability. His bones were changing painlessly and the malnourished body became healthily fatter. He examined his body quickly. It was him, but he'd never believed that he would see himself like this again. Joy was bubbling in his stomach. Now that he thought of it, he was shorter too. He was about the bat's height now. Freight grinned happily as he thanked the doctor.

Rouge stared in amazement when the transformation was finished. He was handsome! He even rivaled Knuckles! The bat stopped herself. She hardly knew the two echidnas, and they probably didn't want to know anything about her. So she might as well just back off... Eggman caught her stares and cleared his throat obnoxiously.

"Unfortunately, this is only a temporary solution to a problem like this... So very sorry." But Freight didn't listen. He was so happy to be in his normal body again. Now he could hunt down that Guardian Knuckles without fear of persecution. His grinned broadened. The great guardian would fall at his knees soon. Freight would make sure of it...

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The two tailed fox set a tray of herbal tea onto the floor where Knuckles and Sonic sat. Sneering at it, the blue blur murmured, "There's no way I'm drinking that!"

As Knuckles picked up a cup and sipped from it, he told him, "Drink it. You don't want to feel like crap the whole day, do you?" The hedgehog didn't budge. He stuck his nose up and snorted. But as soon as he opened his mouth to retort, Tails had him pinned and Knuckles was dumping all of the tea down his throat. Sonic roared and shoved his friends away.

"Get away! I don't need your help—

"By the story you told us, YOU DO!" Knuckles yelled. Sonic's eyes were bloodshot and his lips tightened. The guardian continued in a low murderous tone of voice. "Now listen to me, you oversized pincushion, it's Amy's decision if she wants to leave the Freedom Fighters then she can. But if she joins in with the dream of world domination, then we have no choice but to do something about it. So stop whining and dwelling."

The red one's eyes fell on the miraculously undamaged clock. He had spent too long talking. The bat girl had probably collected more than the half of the Master Emerald. He sighed, "Tails, watch Sonic. I have to find the Master Emerald." The fox looked like he was about to argue. "You guys don't need me right now. You can take care of yourselves..."

He grinned at his friends and began walking off. The pair behind watched him leave. Tails glanced over to Sonic when Knuckles disappeared. "I think we better fix you up. You look like you went through a meat grinder."

"You wouldn't believe it..." With that, Sonic drifted off into a deep sleep.

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**You like? Hmmmm... I wonder what's up with Amy? What else was in the talk between the heroes? How did Sonic get into his battered state? Is Rouge conflicting with her feelings for Knuckles? Exactly what is Freight's mysterious past? When will I stop asking these questions that make you think? Read and find out. I'll most likely update more since my Spring Break is coming up. K! L8er! I definitely appreciate reviews! **

**LadyMaundrell**


	4. Ames of the Crypt Keepers

**_Sorry for not updating. My head kinda went bleh... So now i'm back. tell me what you think about this. _**

**_Freight: She doesn't own Sonic or any ohter characters. They belong to Sega. _**

**_LM: But Freight belongs to me! _**

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"One... Two... Three... And four..." A pink hedgehog counted the articles as other hedgehogs poured them out of a sack onto the table. A scowl creased her face. She looked at an indigo colored hedgehog. "Where are the others? I thought you knew how to treasure hunt."

He rubbed his small nose with his gloved hand and coughed. He was definitely at a loss of words. Finally, he replied, "Well... You see Ames... There was this bat... And she---- uh...Erm... yeah..."

She scowled and angrily threw the bag at him. "Ralph, you are an idiot. The echidna was the one you needed to worry about... The bat's only an amateur." He flinched back and Ames grinned. "Or maybe _you're_ the amateur."

Ralph wore a look of pure shock. She knew well that he wasn't. He growled and turned away from her. That hedgehog was so frustrating. Her grin softened and she walked over to his side, grabbing his hand.

He smiled slightly and his grip tightened on the empty bag. Where would he be without this wonderful girl trying to lead him the right way? The entire gang would have fallen. Now with her brilliant idea for domination, everyone cheered up.

Ames also seemed happier. When she first came, she was depressed and in hysterics. She wasn't wanted by anyone. That is--- until she came to the Crypt Keepers. With them, Ames was a free girl with people who enjoyed her company- especially Ralph. Ralph and Ames... They were mostly loners on their little schemes, but the others supported them.

Heaven forgive him though. He loved the girl no matter what, and he was pretty sure she felt the same as well.

"Aw. How cute... Hedgehog love in the beginning..." a seductive voice cooed. Ames growled. Her grip on Ralph's hand tightened, and she swung him around and threw him in the direction of her newly made enemy. Ralph screamed as he was released. The female behind him just took flight and she let him hit the wall. They ignored his whimper. "Well, well, well... Amy, you have something I need. Hand the emerald pieces over."

"Over my dead body, batgirl." Several figures emerged from open doors and other areas. Rouge got into fighting stance. She spat at the pink hedgehog, "Like these brutes are gonna kick my ass..."

A shrill laugh pinched the air. Amy declared, "Sonic barely survived them and you think you can?"

The female bat froze. Amy was obsessed with Sonic. Why would she hurt him? Something stank and it definitely wasn't her.

"Rouge, get back!" a hard voice snapped. A gray echidna jumped in front of her. His red eyes blazed. They caught site of the Master Emerald pieces. "Hand them over and I won't hurt you."

Ralph scoffed as he got up. "Whatever! You and what army?"

Freight smirked maliciously. "Mine."

The ground shook fiercely and cracked. All of the gang members and Rouge screamed. Freight laughed as deafening roars filled the sewers.

Three creatures pulled themselves out from below. They all resembled cats. Their bodies smelt of rot. They were in the same condition as Freight before he met Dr. Eggman. Behind him, Rouge had fallen silent. It seemed that she petrified. She wasn't accustomed to mutant cats...

"Freight! Fall back!" Eggman roared. The storm echidna jumped and gave a look of pure shock. The doctor flew down to the members and smiled at them. "I heard of your need for emerald energy. Domination... We should just kill you now. I don't want anyone in MY way when I conquer this planet. "

"Just give me the order and it will be done." Amy could hear the desire in his voice. It deeply frightened her. At any second he could just jump and kill them all. She had to think fast.

Desperately, she suggested, "What if we help you? With Knuckles looking for the emerald pieces, you'll need all the help you can get. Ralph here is a professional treasure hunter."

Eggman glanced at her. She seemed familiar, but he shrugged it off. He liked the idea but he saw it as a desperate attempt to not get killed.

"Fine then, Pinky. But I've got my eye on you..." Relief overflowed Amy as she heard those words. "Freight, Rouge escort them to the base."

She looked over to the gray echidna. He was a stormy gray and wore a bandana that matched his eyes. Eggman called him Freight. He was built exactly like Knuckles yet he looked to be fiercer. Who was he? She hadn't seen him in this side of the city at all. So where did he come from?

Eggman flew out of the sewers. Freight glared at them. "Move out. We have a long walk ahead of us."

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"Where are the rest, damn it!" Knuckles yelled. There was no sign of the other pieces. He found more than half of them and now he couldn't find any. Why hadn't he just run off in the first place to find the Master Emerald instead of checking on Tails and then talking to Sonic? A large flying object suddenly caught his eye. He crossed his arms and chuckled. "Hello, Eggman... I see that you're in a hurry. I'll just drop by. He won't mind..."

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**_O.o AMY? Working for Eggman now? GASP! Well i'll try my best to not get into a writers block again. See ya and review please!_**

**_LadyMaundrell_**


	5. Emeralds

**_WAHOO! I'm on a writing spree! Well... here's chapter 5. hope u guys enjoy it. _**

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**_Emeralds_**

Freight wasn't comfortable with these newcomers. Something didn't seem right about any of them. But the doctor did assure him that they wouldn't be a bother, so he accepted his decision. He felt someone's stare on him. Slowly, his eyes skimmed the room. The pink hedgehog quickly tore her gaze from him.

He recalled the indigo hedgehog calling her Ames. She didn't look like an "Ames". She was young and innocent looking. It was as if she was denying that side of her. What made her do that? His eyes narrowed at her in thought.

"Staring isn't nice, you imposter." Freight blinked several times in surprise. He realized it was Ames. A smirk formed on his mouth. He asked, "Why am I an imposter? I don't pretend to be someone I'm not..."

She fell silent. He continued, "You're a beautiful girl. Why do you live in the shadows with the city's scum? I'm sure that there's someone who wants you home..." Silence. "So what's your real name?"

This guy was so different from Sonic. There was a comforting sound to his voice and he knew exactly what to say. Amy couldn't help but smile. She answered, "Amy Rose. Nice to meet you, Freight."

"That's a nice name... It's better than Ames..." A warm smile accompanied the compliment. The echidna stood from his spot and approached the hedgehog. "Now why am I this imposter?"

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"Ralph! You are such an IDIOT!" Rouge roared. She snatched the emerald radar and flipped it around. The hedgehog was holding it the wrong way. She scowled. "Those pieces are half-way around the world!" 

He flinched back in fear, but spoke, "I am accustomed to going without one. I use instinct."

"Well, instinct didn't tell you how to hold a radar, did it?" the bat scoffed.

Beeping caught her ear and she nearly jumped. It was the radar. It showed movement of many emerald pieces. They were following something. And that something was the portal to the base. Ralph and Rouge made eye contact. They had an idea of who or what this was... and the thought wasn't pleasant.

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He ran as fast as his injured legs could carry him. Sonic had to find Knuckles. He was sure that if he found his red friend, then he'd find Amy. He desperately wanted to get things right between them. Anyways, it seemed that something was up. Trouble was brewing and it would have been rude if he didn't help Knux in crashing the dinner party... 

"_Sonic! I found Eggman's base! Due north!" _Tails' voice came in from the radio. His voice sounded hasty. _"They have tons of power in there. I think it's the chaos emeralds!"_

How'd they get all of the chaos emeralds? Sonic snorted. There was no time to ask about that. _What_ was Eggman planning? Sonic replied to Tails, "Okay. Meet you there, Tails."

"_Over and out." _

"Looks like it's time for overdrive!" Sonic pushed himself further and further, going faster at every step he took.

* * *

Eggman entered his base gleefully. Collecting the last chaos emerald was a simple task. He caressed the gem in his hand and jumped out of the Egg Walker. There was no stopping him now. The door to his right opened, revealing the pink hedgehog and Freight conversing. They both looked to the doctor. The girl frowned at Eggman's smirk, but Freight looked more welcoming. 

"It looks like we have everything we need..." Freight spoke. His voice went low. "Come out, intruder."

Amy gasped as a red being that emerged. Knuckles... He wore a mocking grin. Eggman was so incompetent at times. That's when Eggman squealed, "That's **_him! _**That's Guardian Knuckles!"

Freight's eyes instantly burst into flames. His cool disposition became non-existent. He let out a low growl. Knuckles was taken aback by the other echidnas viciousness towards him. Before he could say anything, Knuckles was on the ground, cheek throbbing. What did _he_ do to him?

The echidna stood above him. His bare hand looked badly injured, but he just slowly bawled his fist. His joints cracked loudly and sickeningly. His red eyes shot daggers at the guardian. "Give me those emeralds and I'll consider sparing your life."

Knuckles didn't know what to do. He doubted that the echidna would let him go whether or not he gave the emeralds to him. This guy had gotten on his final nerves. Angrily, he got up and spat, "I'd like to see you take them from me."

"My pleasure!" Freight bellowed.

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**_There ya go. i'll probably and hopefully b updating once a week until the end of the story. well bye!_**

**_LadyMaundrell_**


	6. Eyes of Betrayal

**LM: ****Awww... I'm so sorry you guys. I'm terrible with updating, aren't I? **

**Freight: You definitely suck at commiting...**

**LM: --; Don't remind me. Just do what I created you to do.**

**Freight: Fine. _Lady Maundrell_ doesn't own any Sonic characters. However, she does own me, the Crypt Keepers, and Eggman's dastardly plot.**

**LM: Yay! Read and review plz! Enjoy!**

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Rouge flew across the barren landscape as fast as she possibly could. She had to get there before Eggman's plan went up in smoke. Behind her, Ralph was calling her, asking for her to wait up. She couldn't. Determination flared in her eyes. Freight needed something to look forward to. If they failed, he would go back to the nothingness of the sewers where Eggman first found him… Or worse. Her eyes widened in fear for her new friend and she pushed further, leaving the hedgehog.

How could she have been so ignorant? The Freedom Fighters would always be there to stop Eggman's plan. She couldn't breath. She didn't want Freight to suffer. She wouldn't let it happen.

A wave of strength surged through her, and she flew faster. Her wings ached, but she wouldn't heed it. All she could think of was the possible fate of Freight.

"Freight, don't worry… I'm coming…"

* * *

The gray echidna threw himself at the red guardian, hissing, growling. His fist contacted with Knuckles' stomach. The wind was knocked out him, but the red echidna grabbed onto the other's wrist and twisted it around. He kicked behind Freight's knees, bringing them both to the ground. Freight cried out, but swung his fist again at the echidna on top of him. It smashed into his face, causing Knuckles to jump away from his enemy.

Both were hissing at each other like wild animals now.

"What do you want with my emerald?"

"Your emerald? I bet you stole it!" Freight again jumped at Knuckles. This time, he knocked the guardian over and snuck his teeth into he red arm. He could hear the echidna's whimper, but he wanted him to cry out. He clamped his teeth tighter in the limb. No cry yet.

Knuckles clenched his mouth shut. He would not give this guy the satisfaction of screaming in pain. When he first saw him, he knew this guy enjoyed that kind of thing. He had to admit, this echidna was smart. He had his entire body wait on him, but that would not stop him. Shakily, Knux breathed deeply in through his nose and drove his fist into the gray echidna's bloodshot eye. They both howled.

Freight had his gloved hand over his right eye, gasping in large amounts of air. His other eye was shooting the most monstrous glare possible at the guardian. Knuckles was doing the same, except he had his right hand clamped onto his injured arm. It hang limply at his side. Freight could only chuckle. He had dislocated it in his desperation to get free.

He readied himself for another attack on Knuckles. The opponent was defenseless now. What better time to finish him when he was down? Freight removed his hand from his damaged eye and smirked maliciously.

"Guardian Knuckles, your evil deeds are unforgivable. As all villains, you will be punished. I will make sure of it… You will suffer," growled the gray echidna.

"Evil am I?" Knuckles snapped breathlessly. His shoulders tensed as did his face. He glared venomously at his opponent. "If I'm evil, what does that make you? From what I see, you're no better than Eggman. Using the chaos emeralds and the Master Emerald for your own selfish needs… Pathetic!"

Freight only chuckled at Knuckles words. "Dr. Eggman said you would say that… He told me not to believe you. You're a liar. And a killer."

"What?" the other bellowed. "I'd never—

"Don't bother," he sneered. "I won't fall for your lies unlike some—Ahh!

Freight's body was pinned hard onto the wall, a bloody gloved hand wrapped dangerously around his throat. He coughed and gagged. He clawed at Knuckles' arm, trying to release himself. It was to no avail. The grip only tightened. His enemy wore a fierce look in his eyes. It reminded him of something, but he couldn't remember. He stared into the blue orbs for a while as he squirmed about. Finally, he broke into a smirk.

"You claim that—you're not a killer…" Freight managed to gasp. Suddenly Knuckles eyes went wide and instantly released him. The gray echidna rubbed his abused throat and looked up at the red mammal, continuing almost perniciously, "But your eyes betray you."

Freight stood up, eye level with Knuckles. He took a step forward, and to much of his glee, his opponent took a step back. He clenched his fists, saying, "Hand over the rest of the Master Emerald, Guardian. I don't want them tainted with your disgusting blood."

"Over my dead body—

"Knuckles! Just give up!" A woman's voice broke in. "You can't beat Freight!"

At the sound of his name, he turned around. His blue eyes met green and pink. His face paled. "A-Amy?"

"Give up…" She said again, only softer. She looked distressed, but she kept a strong disposition. Knuckles body lost a bit of its tension, giving relief to Amy. She averted her eyes and shut them. "Dimmie?"

_Who's Dimmie?_ He thought to himself. Suddenly, he felt a sting on the back of his neck. It didn't matter who Ralph was. Not now, for he was drifting off into unconsciousness.

* * *

Amy heard the sound of her friend collapsing. She still refused to look at him. She saw the betrayal in his eyes when he first saw her. She saw it return while his eyes glazed over. At least she saved him for Freight. He was in no condition to fight with his arm like that.

_You had no problem beating Sonic to a bloody pulp, didn't you? Why do you feel sorry for doing this to Knuckles?_

_**Because! Just… because…**_

Amy pushed the conversation with herself far away along with her guilt. She glared at Freight who was glaring daggers at the limp form. Without even letting it register in her mind, she walked over, saying, "Don't kill him." There were stares from everyone. Amy rolled her eyes. "I want his friends to see what happens when they interfere."

She knelt down and took the rest of the pieces Knuckles possessed. The limp body tensed up. The lingering power of the emeralds glowed on his fur. Never had Amy felt as remorseful as she handed the emerald shards to Freight.

Suddenly Rouge rushed in, a familiar purple hedgehog trailing behind. Her baby blue eyes fell on Knuckles' fallen form. She paled at the sight and looked at Freight for answers. He, however, did not look at her. He only glared at the wall ahead of him moodily while absently fixing his bandana.

"Wh-what happened? Fr-Freight?" She shook. She had anticipated Knuckles coming after them, but she hadn't expected him to be on the floor.

Before anyone could say anything, Eggman growled, "Leave him. For all I care he can bleed to death. We must invade the island. Come now!"

"Yessir," was the reply from all. They all exited the room where Knuckles lay. Only Amy and Rouge stayed back to get one last look at him. With a sigh, both left, the door closing behind them.

* * *

Sonic ran through the dark corridors of the lair of the late Robotnik. This wasn't good. He knew Knuckles was here. This would've been one of the places to search for the shards of the Master Emerald. Sure, there was the possibility that the treasure hunter had not come here yet. However, there was a lingering feeling of eeriness.

He turned a corner.

Left.

Right.

Another right.

Up a flight of stairs.

It was all the blue hedgehog could do. He had to follow his instincts.

"_Sonic. Have you found Knuckles yet?" _the walkie talkie cracked. He slowed to a walk and he took it in his hand.

"No. Not yet. I'll contact you when I do," was his reply. Suddenly, he ran into a wall. "Wait…" He placed a hand on the wall and his fingers brushed against a button. "Weird…"

Sonic turned on his heal, but stopped. He had heard something. Pressing his ear on the door, he listened. Someone groaned. His eyes widened and he quickly pressed the button, running in.

"Knuckles!"

* * *

**LM: That wasn't bad, was it? I was so happy that I just had to submit it. Thank Sonic music for that! If you want more, review and I'll happily oblige! Now click. The. Review. Button. And. Be. Nice.**


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